UPDATED: Trans Woman Sara Blackwood Killed in Indianapolis on National Coming Out Day 2020

  An Indianapolis trans woman named Sara Blackwood is the latest victim of gun violence in the United States. She was shot to death walking home from work on National Coming Out Day, October 11 around 10 PM. From Fox 59 in Indianapolis According to police, the shooting occurred in the 2500 block of E. […]

Facemask Q&A with HauteButch Founder & Designer Karen Roberts

Karen Haute Butch

The fear, oppression, and sheer frustration that comes along with having a fierce sense of style and living in a society stuck in out-dated mindsets where women should embrace feminine “appropriateness” is what keeps HauteButch thriving even on our darkest days. One important part of the Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT is highlighting safe and affirming places […]

From 60 Minutes: Doctors say they would prefer people wear masks to holding out hope for a vaccine

Sunday evening, 60 Minutes took a deep dive into the COVID-19 vaccine research. It was interesting, but what caught my eye was a question Scott Pelley posed to one of the researchers on camera and others off-camers:  “Would you rather have a mask or a vaccine?” The answer: mask. Masks save lives now. Pelley goes […]

Election Q&A with Long-Time Volunteer Laura Horowitz

I’m compiling information on this most unusual of elections from a variety of sources. This is a Q&A with Laura Horowitz who has been doing GOTV and candidate work for many years. The goal of a vote plan is to encourage an individual to envision themselves voting and identify any potential barriers they might have […]

318 Coming Out Stories from Western Pennsylvania

National Coming Out Day Pittsburgh

Happy National Coming Out Day! Today is the day we celebrate coming out – being more open about our LGBTQIA+ identities AND encouraging folx still “in the closet” to take their own steps. Sharing our own unique stories is an essential tool to offer support. In honor of that reality, I am offering this list […]

Help Get Facemasks to Trans and Queer Households

The Pittsburgh MasQue ProjecT still needs your help. We connect the trans and queer community with face masks throughout Western Pennsylvania. This includes maintaining a vendor list and direct distribution on a monthly basis thanks to generous donors. Why do trans and queer households need a dedicated facemask project? Discrimination. I suggest you read this […]

Dear David. October 9. 2020.

David DeAngelo Pittsburgh

I mean … wtf with this week? It’s prime leaf viewing season. I never heard the term leaf peeping until this year and I think it’s pretty stupid. The leafs aren’t peeping because they don’t have eyes. We aren’t peeping at the leaves because THERE THEY ARE IN TREES. There’s no peeping. It’s just another […]

Black Trans Woman Brooklyn DeShauna Smith, 20, Killed in Shreveport, Louisiana

Brooklyn DeShauna Smith

  It has happened again. On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the body of Brooklyn DeShauna Smith was discovered at 2:15 in the afternoon in a Shreveport, Louisiana apartment complex. Cause of death was gun shot. Brooklyn was a 20-year-old Black trans woman. Brooklyn was born and raised in Shreveport. She studied cosmetology at Bossier Parish […]

Happy International Lesbian Day 2020

International Lesbian Day

Apparently, this is a holiday centered in Australia and New Zealand. I’m always skeptical that these sorts of things are TERF Trojan Horses. It is admittedly weird for a lesbian blog to be skeptical of lesbians. But that’s the world we live in today. I won’t relinquish my identity to anyone, but I’m not arrogant […]

Black Trans Woman Felycya Harris Found Murdered in Georgia

Just days after last reporting on the murder of a trans woman in Puerto Rico comes word from Augusta, Georgia of the murder of a 33-year-old Black trans woman, Felycya Harris. Her body was discovered at 1:30 in the afternoon near Meadowlark Drive on Saturday, October 3 with evidence of at least one gunshot wound. […]